


Absence makes the heart grow fonder

by sara_no_h



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, Pining, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Pre-Slash, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 06:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1972035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sara_no_h/pseuds/sara_no_h
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vague spoilers for Avengers: Age of Ultron.</p><p>Sam was expecting the call. He let it ring for a moment, making sure he knew what button to push before answering on the fourth ring. “Hello?”</p><p>“It’s Steve.” As if Sam didn't already know who it was. There was a rustling on the other end. “Sorry I missed your calls.” Steve paused. “All seven of them.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absence makes the heart grow fonder

**Author's Note:**

> All the Avengers: Age of Ultron images are giving me some serious feelings and headcanons. So here is my take on an After Credit Scene for Steve Rogers because I needed to address some buddying thoughts of mine.

Sam was expecting the call. He let it ring for a moment, making sure he knew what button to push before answering on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

“It’s Steve.” As if Sam didn't already know who it was. There was a rustling on the other end. “Sorry I missed your calls.” Steve paused. “All seven of them.”

“No problem,” he started, “where you at?”

There was an exhausted sigh. “Stark Tower or as we're learning to call it: Avengers Tower.”

“Nice,” Sam said. “Did Tony Stark set you up with a room?”

“More like a whole floor. Says I shouldn't be going back to D.C. if I can help it.” A weary sigh followed. “It’s not home, though. I don't know when it'll be, but it’s not my home, Sam.”

Sam nodded, fingers tightening his mobile. “It’s missing something, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Steve said with an absent tone.

Sam let out a small smile, eyes darting across the coffee table before him. “Yep, I figured you were a little occupied before,” he cocked his head, “so Ultron, huh?”

“Yeah, not one of Starks better ideas if you ask me.” The tone was bitter, passive aggressive in nature. Sam knew it well.  It began the second Tony asked him to come back to the States and help them with an issue that required the whole team.

It was with a heavy heart that Steve asked Sam to stay in the outskirts of Russia, to keep following the leads, to keep looking for Bucky without him. Sam didn’t refuse his friend.

Sam;s voice was light. “It’s a sad day when the robot's turn on us humans.”

“Nothing wrong with using your own two hands,” Steve said with a weary sigh.

Sam hummed in agreement, eyes falling to the two beers on his table. Condensation was making their labels blurry, and he was sure they were going to leave rings on his wood furnishing.

“Listen.” There was that determination, Sam thought. “Where are you at? I'll take the next available flight and be there within the day. Two tops.”

“I’m not in Europe anymore, Steve.” Sam's eyes darting up before falling back to his mobile. “I’m home at my apartment.”

There was a long silence over the line. “I understand, Sam. Where did you leave off? I'll start from there.” No anger was delivered only a tired acceptance.

“Steve,” Sam said, eyes staring at the man across from him, “he’s here.”

There was a crackle as if Steve was changing hands with his phone. When Steve spoke his voice was tight with emotion. “You found, Bucky?”

Sam’s eyes were locked with the man in question. “He’s at my apartment.”

“Is that why I’m on speaker?” There was anticipation building in Steve’s voice.

 _Damn it,_ Sam thought, _this boy is too smart_. Looking to Bucky he saw that nervous energy shift to something like fear. Sam knew what he had to do. “He’s sleeping in the other room. I got you on speaker because I’m too tired to lift the phone to my ear.” He winced at the flimsy excuse and saw Bucky do the same. They both paused, waiting to see if Steve would fall for it.

“Okay.” Steve drawled out, and Sam mentally patted himself on the back for dogging that bullet. “Is he alright? Eating? Sleeping?”

Sam examined Bucky’s tired eyes and stubble. The man had looked like a wreck when Sam first found him. Now he could pass for human. He even wore his hair back in a tie. There may have been improvement but there was still a long way to go. “He’s alive.”

Steve let out a rush of breath, voice strained. “His arm I-I think I broke his arm. Did it heal?”

“Steve, he’s alive and he's here."

There was another beat of silence and Sam hoped that Steve was reading his stressed tone for what it was. Words like _alright_ or  _fine_ could not apply to the man across from him, but Steve didn't need to know that now. Shifting he saw Bucky's glassy eyes boring into the mobile that rested between them.

“You there?”

“Sorry.” Steve voice was like gravel. Bucky rubbed his flesh hand over his face but he was too slow. Sam already saw the tear tracks.

 _These two_ , Sam though, _have got to get it together._ It’s not like he sighed up to be their matchmaker.

“Listen give us a few-“

“No.” Steve cut in. “I’m coming down tonight.”

Bucky looked up, yearning etched into his face but at the same time there was uncertainty. Hesitation at the knowledge of seeing Steve so soon.

“He needs time Steve and so do you. Get some sleep. Eat a big meal.” Sam watched Bucky wring his mismatched hands together. “Drink a beer and hang out with the super-friends.” Not like Sam was jealous or anything. Nope. Not at all. Besides, Steve already promised that the next time the team was called in he was going to be there too.

Steve's voice was tight. “This is not where I want to be, Sam.”

“Yeah, I know. Just give us some time. Barnes is not too happy with your dumb ass almost dying on the television. Neither of us is.” He shared a look of disapproval with Bucky. They'd been doing that a lot; bonding over their shared annoyance in Steve’s poor life choices.

“Um.” Steve fumbled, sounded guilty through the connection. “You guys saw that?”

“Yeah, we did so let us simmer in our mutual disbelieve at you and your ability to literally jump headfirst into danger without a thought to yourself. Come down in a few days, alright?” Sam saw Bucky give an absent nod.

“Sam.”

“Steven,” Sam said, and then grinned. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Steve was incredulous. “Are you fucking kidding me, Wilson?”

Sam smiled and saw Bucky’s mouth twitch in turn. Not a smile but at least it was a hint of emotion. “I knew you’d like that.”

“Not so much,” Steve said with a flat tone.

“Goodnight, Steve, see you in a few days.” Sam said, voice dripping with saccharine assurance.

“I’m not happy about this.”

Sam sighed. “I know.”

“Can you?” Steve asked with hesitant.

“Yeah?” Sam asked, watching Bucky carefully.

“Can you make sure he’s warm?”

Bucky leaned forward, face incredible. Sam was confused. “It’s not cold outside.”

“It doesn't need to be cold outside to feel it on the inside.” Steve said and before Sam could begin questioning that statement Bucky was reaching across the coffee table, snagging the phone from his light grip.

“I won't be warm until you get here.” Bucky said in a rush, like he needed to get the words out before he stopped himself.

Steve's voice was rough with promise. “I’ll be there soon.”

“I know you will,” Bucky said with confidence before hanging up and gently placing the phone on the table.

Shaking his head in exasperation Sam wondered if Steve was already packing. The thought disappeared when he saw, for the first time, a small slip of a smile on Bucky’s lips. In that moment he knew he was wrong for their absence had already run its course.

**Author's Note:**

> If there are any glaring mistakes let me know!


End file.
